Hello transit map enthusiasts!

To improve the quality and searchability of our subreddit, we're implementing automated posting requirements. AutoMod will help enforce these rules to ensure all posts have the necessary information.

🎯 REQUIRED: Every post must include these 3 elements:

1. 📍 LOCATION (MANDATORY)

2. 🚇 SYSTEM/NETWORK (MANDATORY)

3. ✏️ [OC] TAG OR 🖥️ SOFTWARE/TOOLS (ONE REQUIRED)

📋 COMPLETE LIST OF ACCEPTED KEYWORDS

AutoMod will scan your title AND post body for these keywords:

📍 LOCATION KEYWORDS

AutoMod accepts any of these:

Option A: General Location Words

• location, city, country, place, where, area, region, nation, metro area, metropolitan

Option B: Context Phrases

• in [Place] (e.g., "in Berlin", "in Tokyo")
• from [Place] (e.g., "from Vienna")
• at [Place] (e.g., "at Munich")
• near [Place] (e.g., "near Hamburg")
• based in [Place] (e.g., "based in NYC")

Option C: Major Transit Cities (~150 recognized)

Europe: London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Vienna, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Athens, Moscow, Istanbul, Zurich, Dublin, Lisbon, and many more...

Asia: Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, Tel Aviv, and many more...

Americas: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, Mexico City, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and many more...

Africa/Oceania: Cairo, Johannesburg, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, and many more...

Full list available in wiki (link to be added)

Option D: Any Country Name (195 countries)

• Examples: Germany, Japan, USA, Brazil, Australia, France, India, Canada, etc.
• All UN member states + common variants (UK/United Kingdom, US/USA, etc.)

🚇 SYSTEM/NETWORK KEYWORDS

AutoMod accepts any of these:

General Transit Terms

• system, network, line, route, service, operator
• transit, transport, public transport, mass transit, rapid transit

Specific Transit Types

Bus/Coach:

• bus, coach, BRT, bus rapid transit, trolleybus, trolley, omnibus

Rail/Metro:

• metro, subway, underground, tube
• u-bahn, s-bahn, stadtbahn, métro
• train, rail, railway, railroad
• light rail, lrt, monorail, maglev
• commuter, regional, intercity, high speed, HSR, bullet train

Tram/Streetcar:

• tram, tramway, streetcar

Other:

• ferry, boat, water taxi
• cable car, funicular, gondola, aerial tram, ropeway
• people mover

Line/Route Designations

• Pattern: Line [Number/Letter] or Route [Number/Letter]
• Examples: Line 1, Line A, Route 42, U6, S7, etc.

✏️ ORIGINAL CONTENT (OC) KEYWORDS

AutoMod accepts any of these:

• [OC] or OC (brackets optional)
• original, own creation
• made myself, my version, made my
• created by me, self-made, my design

🖥️ SOFTWARE/TOOLS KEYWORDS

AutoMod accepts any of these:

General Software Terms

• software, tool, tools, app, program
• rendered, rendered with, rendered in
• made with, made in, created in, created with, created using
• edited, edited in, edited with
• using, used, drawn in, drawn with

Desktop Design Software

Adobe Suite:

• photoshop, illustrator, adobe

Vector Graphics:

• inkscape, figma, sketch, affinity designer, affinity photo
• coreldraw, gravit, vectr, boxy svg

Raster/Drawing:

• gimp, krita, procreate, concepts, canva

CAD/3D:

• autocad, vectorworks, rhino, blender

GIS & Mapping Software

• qgis, arcgis, maperitive, mapnik, maptive, edrawmax

Web-Based Transit Map Tools ⭐

• metromapmaker, metro map maker (metromapmaker.com)
• metrodreamin, metro dreamin' (metrodreamin.com)
• rail map toolkit, railmapgen, rmt (railmapgen.github.io)
• metro designer (tennessine.co.uk)
• citylines, citylines.co
• brand new subway
• metro map creator (beno.uk)
• transitflow

Other Methods

• hand-drawn, hand drawn, drawn by hand (for physical art)
• pen and paper, marker, pencil

✅ GOOD EXAMPLES - AutoMod will APPROVE these:

Example 1 - Original Creation

Title: [OC] Berlin U-Bahn Network Map - Made with Illustrator
Body: (optional additional info)
✅ Has: Location (Berlin) + System (U-Bahn) + [OC] + Software (Illustrator)

Example 2 - Using Web Tools

Title: Tokyo Metro redesign using MetroDreamin'
Body: My take on simplifying the Tokyo subway system
✅ Has: Location (Tokyo) + System (Metro) + Software (MetroDreamin')

Example 3 - Sharing Others' Work

Title: Vienna Tram Network - Beautiful map created in QGIS
Body: Found this amazing visualization. Credit: u/transitdesigner
✅ Has: Location (Vienna) + System (Tram) + Software (QGIS)

Example 4 - Hand-Drawn

Title: [OC] Hand-drawn London Underground Central Line
Body: Spent 15 hours drawing every station with markers
✅ Has: Location (London) + System (Underground, Line) + [OC] + Method (hand-drawn)

Example 5 - Multiple Cities

Title: [OC] Germany High-Speed Rail Network - Made with Rail Map Toolkit
Body: Shows connections between Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and Frankfurt
✅ Has: Location (Germany + cities) + System (Rail) + [OC] + Software (Rail Map Toolkit)

Example 6 - Fantasy/Fictional

Title: [OC] Fictional Metro System for Gotham City - Inkscape
Body: Designed a complete subway network for Batman's universe
✅ Has: Location (Gotham City) + System (Metro) + [OC] + Software (Inkscape)

Example 7 - National Level

Title: India National Rail Network [OC] - Created using QGIS
Body: (optional)
✅ Has: Location (India) + System (Rail Network) + [OC] + Software (QGIS)

Example 8 - Historical Map

Title: 1972 New York Subway Map - Scanned and digitized with Photoshop
Body: Found this vintage map at a flea market
✅ Has: Location (New York) + System (Subway) + Software (Photoshop)

❌ BAD EXAMPLES - AutoMod will REMOVE these:

Example 1 - Missing Everything

Title: Check out this cool map!
Body: (image only)
❌ Missing: Location, System, AND OC/Software

Example 2 - Missing Location

Title: Metro Map [OC]
Body: I made this transit map
❌ Missing: Location (which city/country?)

Example 3 - Missing System

Title: Berlin Transit Map
Body: (image)
❌ Missing: Specific system (U-Bahn? S-Bahn? Tram?) AND OC/Software

Example 4 - Missing OC/Software

Title: Berlin U-Bahn Map
Body: (image)
❌ Missing: Either [OC] tag OR software used

Example 5 - Too Vague

Title: My map
Body: What do you think?
❌ Missing: Location, System, AND OC/Software

📝 COPY-PASTE TEMPLATES:

For Your Own Work (Original):

[OC] [City] [Transit Type] Map - Made with [Software]

Examples:

• [OC] Berlin U-Bahn Map - Made with Illustrator
• [OC] Tokyo Metro Line 7 - Created using MetroDreamin'
• [OC] Paris Métro Network - Made with Rail Map Toolkit

For Sharing Others' Work:

[City] [Transit Type] Network - Created in [Software] by [Creator]

Examples:

• Vienna Tram Network - Created in QGIS by u/username
• NYC Subway Redesign - Made with Figma by John Smith

For Hand-Drawn Work:

[OC] Hand-drawn [City] [Transit Type] Map

Examples:

• [OC] Hand-drawn London Underground Map
• [OC] Hand-drawn Chicago L Train Network

For Fantasy/Fictional Maps:

[OC] Fictional: [City Name] [Transit Type] - Made with [Software]

Examples:

• [OC] Fictional: Middle Earth Railway Network - Made with QGIS
• [OC] Fictional: Star Wars Coruscant Metro - Created in Illustrator

For Historical Maps:

[Year] [City] [Transit Type] Map - Scanned/Digitized with [Software]

Examples:

• 1933 London Underground Map - Scanned and edited in Photoshop
• 1970 Berlin U-Bahn Network - Digitized with QGIS

For Multiple Cities:

[OC] [City1], [City2] & [City3] [Transit Type] - Made with [Software]

Examples:

• [OC] Berlin, Munich & Hamburg S-Bahn Networks - Made with Illustrator
• Germany Major Metro Systems Comparison [OC] - Created in QGIS

❓ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q: What if I don't know what software was used?

A: Write "Software unknown" or make your best guess. If it's someone else's work, try to find the creator's info.

Q: Can I post photos of real transit maps (like at a station)?

A: Yes! Use this format:
Photo of [City] [System] map at [Station Name]
Example: Photo of Berlin U-Bahn map at Alexanderplatz station

Q: What about historical or vintage maps?

A: Perfect! Just mention the year and how you digitized it:
1950 Paris Métro Map - Scanned with Photoshop

Q: My map shows multiple cities - how do I title it?

A: List the main ones or use the country name:

• Berlin, Munich & Hamburg Metro Systems [OC]
• Germany Rail Network Comparison - Made with QGIS

Q: My post was removed but it has all the info?

A: AutoMod isn't perfect! Message the mods and we'll manually approve it. Include a link to your post.

Q: Is capitalization important?

A: No! AutoMod recognizes:

• BERLIN = Berlin = berlin
• METRO = Metro = metro
• [OC] = [oc] = OC

Q: Can I use abbreviations?

A: Yes! These all work:

• NYC = New York = New York City
• SF = San Francisco
• UK = United Kingdom
• USA = US = United States

Q: What if my city isn't on the list?

A: Use context! Write:

• in [Your City] (e.g., "in Reykjavik")
• [Your City], [Country] (e.g., "Reykjavik, Iceland")
• Or just the country name works too!

Q: Does the info need to be in the title?

A: No! AutoMod scans both title AND body text. You can put keywords in either place, but titles are more visible to users.

Q: Can I edit my post after AutoMod removes it?

A: Unfortunately, editing won't trigger AutoMod again. You'll need to:

1. Delete the removed post
2. Create a new post with all required info

Q: What about crossposting?

A: Crossposts are held for manual moderator review to ensure proper credit. Make sure the crosspost meets all requirements.

Q: I'm creating a fantasy map - what location do I use?

A: Use "Fictional:" in your title:

• [OC] Fictional: Gotham City Metro
• [OC] Fictional Metro System for Westeros - Made with Illustrator

🤖 How AutoMod Works:

1. Scans your title AND body text for keywords
2. Checks for all 3 required categories:
   • ✅ Location keyword found?
   • ✅ System/network keyword found?
   • ✅ [OC] tag OR software mentioned?
3. Approves posts with all 3 categories
4. Removes posts missing requirements
5. Comments what's missing so you can resubmit
6. No penalties - just add the info and repost!

💡 PRO TIPS:

✅ Be specific: "London Underground Central Line" is better than "London transit"
✅ Stack keywords: More keywords = clearer post (e.g., "Berlin, Germany U-Bahn system")
✅ [OC] in title gets more visibility and upvotes
✅ Credit creators when sharing others' work - it's the right thing to do
✅ Use templates above to make posting easier
✅ Check both title and body - keywords can be in either place
✅ Ask if unsure - we're here to help in modmail!

⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTES:

• 📅 Rules start: October 2025 - practice now to get used to the format!
• 🔄 Existing posts: Won't be affected - only new posts after the start date
• 🔤 Case doesn't matter: BERLIN = Berlin = berlin
• 📝 Title OR body: Keywords work in either place
• 🚫 No penalties: Just repost with correct info - no bans or warnings
• 💬 Questions? Comment below or send modmail!

📊 SUMMARY CHECKLIST:

Before posting, verify you have:

• Location - City name, country name, or "in/from/at [place]"
• System - Metro, bus, tram, rail, etc.
• OC tag - [OC] if it's your work
• OR Software - Name the tool you used (Illustrator, QGIS, MetroDreamin', etc.)

If all 4 checkboxes are marked, you're good to go! ✅

🗺️ CLOSING THOUGHTS:

These changes help everyone find the amazing transit maps they're looking for. Whether you're searching for Berlin U-Bahn designs, Tokyo Metro redesigns, or fictional fantasy networks, proper tagging makes it possible!

Thank you for making our community better organized and more searchable. We can't wait to see your incredible transit map creations!

Happy mapping! 🚇✨

— The Mod Team

P.S. Have suggestions for improving these rules? Let us know in the comments below! 👇

(Valid as of 2025/10/05)

Long story short - any vector graphics software is fine.

There is

• Inkscape (open source and for free, even for Linux and co),
• Affinity Designer (one time payment, Apple (iPadOS, MacOS) and Windows)
• QGIS (open source and for free, MacOS, Windows, Linux)
• Krita (open source and for free, MacOS, Windows, Linux)

and with monthly/annual subscription fees (mostly Apple (MacOS, sometimes iPadOS) and Windows only)

• Adobe Illustrator
• Corel Draw
• AutoCAD
• ArcGIS
• Microsoft Visio